So there we are. The wife and I are on the extreme right side of the road at a left turn intersection getting ready to proceed and turn left once the light changes. The light goes green and I get clipped in on the first rotation and we proceed pretty darn smoothly through the intersection. Total time maybe 10 seconds. Almost at once a big caddy with a OLD couple in the front seat pulls up next to us and the old lady flips me one of the biggest birds I have ever received. My wife almost speechless which is no small feat in itself. I was in stitches laughing so hard from the sight of the wrinkled up old lady showing us her finger so proudly. I am so proud of my people where I live.

It’s funny, and it’s sad. Whenever we’re flipped off or honked down on my bike by sedentary, air-conditioned motorists, I get this overwhelming feeling that their sense of road ownership is secondary to their burning resentment of our fun and activity. Interestingly, about eight in ten are women, old and young. I love to catch up to these people at stop lights and ask them what their real problem is. More often than not, as dad tries desperately to crawl under his seat, their eyes fail to meet mine and they mumble the inevitable crap about road ownership, I can see their pain as they check out our hardware (and software), mentally comparing their own miserable lifestyle with mine. And as I invite them to have a nice day, I see them drive off in guilty sadness, knowing they’re missing out.

Our nemesis has been the extraordinary network of “bike paths” that our County placed throughout our semi-urban area.. While they’ve been a huge amenity for kids, walkers, dogs on leashes, and geezers on comfort bikes, they have sparked a bitter war here between serious road bikers and cars. When we explain to people that they don’t really want their kids or dogs hit by 350 lb of mass (on a tandem) going in the neighborhood of 20mph on these “bike paths”, about half of them get it and the other half suggest that we should slow down. They are completely unaware of the 15mph speed limit on these paths. It’s a conundrum and a no-win.

Just curious as to why you are at the extreme right side of the lane to make a left turn? I/we would be in the middle of the lane, preventing a car from pulling up to our left and blocking our way.
And, I am really disappointed that you have no photo of the lady and her finger.